Botox injection no help in losing weight: study

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., have published a definitive study finding that although the gastric injections do slow the movement of food through the stomach, they do not help weight loss.

Photograph by: File photo
, Postmedia News

Yet again, science proves there's no quick fix for being overweight or obese.

The latest weight-loss fad to be debunked is injecting Botox into the stomach, which is believed to delay emptying of the stomach and help you feel full longer.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., have published a definitive study finding that although the gastric injections do slow the movement of food through the stomach, they do not help weight loss.

It's likely to be disappointing news for people struggling to lose weight who were led to believe the stomach injections could be helpful by a previous study.

However, the Mayo Clinic study invalidates those earlier findings because it is larger, used ultrasound to ensure injections were properly inserted, and minimized bias by making sure physicians and patients did not know who had received Botox and who received a placebo.

In a news release, Mark Topazian, lead author of the study, said "On the basis of our findings, I would not recommend gastric Botox injections to people who want to lose weight. There are some risks with this treatment and we found that there was no benefit in terms of body weight loss."

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Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., have published a definitive study finding that although the gastric injections do slow the movement of food through the stomach, they do not help weight loss.

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